Tag: Writers

“We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings,” said Ursula K. Le Guin in her acceptance speech for the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the 65th annual National Book Awards ceremony. “[But] any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings.”

Of more than 500 writers polled by PEN International, a writers rights and advocacy group, 16 percent said knowledge of NSA surveillance led them to abandon writing projects they thought could attract unwanted government attention. An additional 11 percent said they’ve “seriously considered it.”

Politico’s piece on New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson implied she was a “bitchy woman character”; fossil fuels may never be depleted and this could be the best and worst thing to happen; meanwhile, violence is less rampant on YouTube than on television programs. These discoveries and more after the jump.

Occupy Wall Street is working on convening a national General Assembly; Rick Santorum pledges to repeal federal funding for contraception; meanwhile, Amazon attempts to rid the world of publishers. These discoveries and more, after the jump.

Truthdig columnists Chris Hedges and Robert Scheer are among the notable writers who have signed this appeal urging President Obama to rethink Afghanistan. The ad, appearing in The Nation and The New York Review of Books, warns that “a new beginning will not be possible as long as we continue to spill the blood of the men, women, and children of Afghanistan.”

The Hollywood-centric “Membership First” faction that has controlled the Screen Actors Guild’s national board for most of the last five years chooses tactics—misinformation, tough talk and over-promising—that undermine the union’s credibility.

He’s not the head honcho at the Mouse House (aka Walt Disney Co.) anymore, but Michael Eisner claims firsthand and reliable knowledge that the writers’ strike is over. He says a deal was struck between the WGA and studio execs late last week and will take effect within days.

With top-tier talent unwilling to cross picket lines for the sake of a gala awards ceremony, the folks who put together the Golden Globes (the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, NBC and Dick Clark Productions) scrambled to work around the whole no-actors-showing-up issue but had to settle for a newscast announcing the winners.

Late night hosts Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien are set to resume their talk shows without writers. An NBC executive says “there are hundreds of people who will be able to return to work as a result of Jay’s and Conan’s decision,” but one imagines dwindling ratings have something to do with their plans. David Letterman, meanwhile, may work out a deal with the Writers Guild that would allow his show to come back with writers.

An end may be in sight for striking television and film writers and their studio bosses if negotiations, now set to resume Nov. 26, are effective. However, WGA West President Patric Verrone cautioned union members to stand their ground in an e-mail titled “Don’t Break Out the Champagne Just Yet.”

There’s one big built-in advantage that many striking WGA members have over the studio honchos they’re feuding with: real creative talent. This clip, made by “Colbert Report” writers, showcases their flair for parody, reminding producers why they’re indispensable while mercilessly lampooning the executives.

While Hillary’s out on the campaign trail, Bill Clinton may be offering his diplomatic expertise to help bring a resolution to the Writers Guild of America strike, which has halted several productions in Hollywood and New York.

Writers began picketing network and studio headquarters on Monday, with the support of several celebrities and, courtesy of Jay Leno, a couple of boxes of doughnuts. There’s no telling how long the strike will last, but parallels to the 1988 walkout that cost Hollywood an estimated half a billion dollars have already been drawn.

The Israeli government has dismissed a petition calling for a cease-fire with Hamas. The document, which was written by some of Israel’s leading writers and intellectuals, notes that “Israel has in the past negotiated with its worst enemies.”